The “Happy Hallowmas” Edition

<p>This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott shook off their post-Halloween sugar comas to hash through some of the week's big national security news stories, including:</p><ul><li>“A Home Invasion in the House.” A man connected to various online conspiracies broke into the San Francisco home of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and violently assaulted her husband, all as part of <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/31/justice-department-charges-depape-following-paul-pelosi-assault-00064282" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a plot to kidnap and torture her</a>. What is to blame for this type of violence? Are we taking it seriously enough?</li><li>“First (R)use?” The Biden administration’s <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/biden-nuclear-posture-review-2022/671949/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recently released Nuclear Posture Review</a> has taken many progressives by surprise, as it appears to walk back candidate Biden’s commitment to a policy against first use. Is this criticism fair? What should we make of the Biden administration’s nuclear strategy?</li><li>“Trust and the Fourth Estate.” The Justice Department has codified new guidelines putting <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/10/26/garland-reporter-leak-investigations/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">significant restrictions on when and how prosecutors can subpoena and arrest journalists</a>. Are these restrictions well-founded or do they go too far?&nbsp;</li></ul><p>For object lessons, Alan recommended his favorite recent audiobook, Daniel Immerwahr's&nbsp;"<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374172145/howtohideanempire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How to Hide an Empire</a>." Quinta threw her support behind the season of Fall, and shared a photo of some of its lovely colors (see our <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-20-happy-hallowmas-edition" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">show page</a>). And Scott recommended a